Martin County finishes second at state golf tournament

Martin County golf coach Wayne Parrish shows off the team’s runner-up trophy following the final round of the FHSAA Boys Class 2A Finals at The Country Club at Silver Springs Shores in Ocala on Wednesday.

Second place never seemed so disappointing.

The Martin County boys golf team shot an impressive four-over 292 in the second round of the Class 2A state tournament Wednesday in Ocala and still finished runner-up with Lake Mary dropping a 283.

The Tigers were eying their first state title since 1987 after entering the day one stroke behind first-day leader St. Thomas Aquinas and one-stroke ahead of Lake Mary. They finished with a 591, while Lake Mary had a 583, and Cypress Bay came in third with a 596.

“We are pretty disappointed,” said Tigers senior Andrew Goodman, who placed in a tie for second individually. “Second sounds great, but we really wanted to win. That was our goal coming in. ... With all the adversity we went through (with two playing ill), I thought we played pretty decent. We tried to do the best we could, but, unfortunately, didn’t quite get there.”

Martin County coach Wayne Parrish didn’t know Lake Mary’s score until the 18th hole when he heard some whispers among the spectators.

“We’re one shot back after yesterday’s 299, so I thought going seven strokes better we would have it, but it just didn’t happen,” Parrish said. “The 16th hole I could have sworn we had it locked up, but Lake Mary came in with a ridiculous score.”

The third-year coach said his players likely will look back on the tournament later and be pleased. Martin County made a dramatic improvement from last year when it finished well below expectations in 13th place.

“To me, second is pretty darn awesome in a great state for golf,” Parrish said. “The guys are disappointed because we came so close, but give us a half hour and I am sure we will be pretty happy. They put everything into it. Everyone shot a good round, and I am proud of them.”

Goodman was more satisfied with his individual finish in part because he actually moved up in the standings during Day 2. He placed in a tie for second after shooting a one-under 71 in his final round for a three-under 141 total. The senior birdied his last hole to improve his status.

“I am pretty pleased with the two-day total,” Goodman said. “It could have been lower, but golf is never easy. To walk away with second, I am happy to end my high school career on a high note.”

Junior teammate Will Davenport tied for fifth with a 142, along with Vero Beach junior James Monnerville, who led the field by two strokes after firing a 66 in the first round. Davenport and freshman Liam Snyder both shot a one-under 71 Wednesday, and Christian Tepley and Donnie Smith, who were battling illness, shot a 77 and 79, respectively.

Monnerville’s 76 in the final round was the result of some putting mistakes. Coach Ron Gielow said he missed at least eight 5-foot (or closer) putts, which is “unlike him,” but “tee to green, he was almost as good as (Tuesday).”

“He just couldn’t make the putts that were going in yesterday,” Gielow said. “He was hitting them solid, but he was an inch off.”

Monnerville said he was frustrated after a slow start built into several missed opportunities for birdies, but he didn’t feel any pressure as the leader entering the day.

“I knew I had to play well because there’s a lot of good players playing this week,” Monnerville said. “I just didn’t have the run I wanted. I guess it’s OK — tied for fifth isn’t that bad, but I was hoping for a little better finish.”

In other state competition, St. Edward’s junior Joe Duncan finished strong in the Class 1A boys tournament after struggling Tuesday and entering the final round in a tie for 73rd with an 82. He shot a one-over 73 Wednesday with four birdies.

“It was nice to play well after the disaster yesterday,” Duncan said. “I got off to a bad start, but I made a birdie on my third hole, which gave me some confidence. My drives were really good and I putted really well.”

The Vero Beach girls finished 12th of 16 teams in the girls Class 2A tournament. The Fighting Indians scored a 708 after coming in with a 355 on Wednesday. Sophomore Kendall Hedgecock led the team with a 38th-place 169 after shooting an 82 in the final round, and senior Alex Bradshaw finished with a 176, despite scoring a 92 Wednesday.